


Of Salt And Lip Gloss

by LuarRosa



Series: Of One Taste And Another [1]
Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, French Fries, food discussion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:28:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24524623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuarRosa/pseuds/LuarRosa
Summary: Sayo Hikawa has a request to make of Aya Maruyama! No potatoes were harmed during the production of this fiction.
Relationships: Hikawa Sayo/Maruyama Aya
Series: Of One Taste And Another [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805701
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	1. Aya

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, author Rose here, this is my first work for Bandori and I'm relatively new to it so it might be a bit out-of-character/a contradiction to canon but also just don't take it seriously jhfdsfgkj hope you like it!!!

“Ahem,” is a word - an interjection, to be precise, - used in cases such as when one is clearing their throat before speaking up, or perhaps after stressing it too much; maybe even as an attempt to call the attention of others to oneself.

A good example of the later concept was in the exact moment Sayo Hikawa wished to speak with a girl who did not seem to be listening.

“Maruyama-san?”

She opened her eyes to a dark room, and the face of an acquaintance.

“Sayo-chan…” Aya Maruyama began saying, as she stretched and held a yawn in. “Why are the lights so weak here?”

“You...”

“Huh?” Aya didn't understand. Sayo was intimidating, with her serious and overly polite way of putting things. Being around Chisato so often made her a little less scared of such mature personalities, but part of her still feared she was about to get lectured at any moment.

“I mean,” Sayo hesitated, “you have sunglasses on.”

“OH!” Aya quickly scrambled to get those things away from her face in embarrassment. “These are NOT mine, haha…“ She felt it was Hina's doing, but knew it wasn't the best decision to mention Sayo's twin sister during a conversation with her.

“Anyway, as I was attempting to ask you,”

“Yes, yes, go on!”

“I would like to request your assistance in something I think only you can do.”

_ Oh no. Oh frick. _ What could she mean? Sayo Hikawa, guitarist from Roselia, twin sister of Hina Hikawa of Pastel*Palletes, was asking Aya for help? Whatever could someone so mature and competent need?

“Of course! Come with me,” she said, taking Sayo by the arm to somewhere they wouldn't be seen or interrupted. “So?”

Sayo looked straight at Aya. Her eyes pierced through completely, while she said the following: “I need you to teach me how to make potato.”

Three seconds of silence ensued.

“Potato?”

“Yes, uhm, french fries.”

“You need me to teach you how to make french fries?”

“If you are willing to help.”

What? Is this a prank? Was anything going to happen should she say no? Of course, she had no reason to, but it was still something she could not understand. Either way, “Yes! Should we go to my house?”

“That would be appreciated.”

An hour passed, and as planned, both girls stood in Aya's kitchen, ready to begin. She had some potatoes prepared, and was trying her best to give off the idea that she could actually cook.

“Well, Sayo-chan,” Aya spoke softly, akin to how she speaks in both of her jobs, “how do you normally enjoy your fries?”

Wistfully saying “Potato…” was her only response.

“Sayo-chan?”

“Ah, yes, uhm…”

“I do work with fast food, but I’m a cashier.”

“You are?”

_ Has Sayo not bought from me before? _ Aya thought. But it wasn’t important. Right then, Sayo looked disappointed, maybe upset at Aya. This, of course, led her to feel bad too, but she had to do something.

“But it’s okay!” She said, louder than needed, grabbing Sayo’s attention perhaps too much. “I still know how to make some tasty ones, so we can do that!”

She put two potatoes on a plastic surface for cutting food, with a name no one involved in this narrative knows of, and gave Sayo a knife that wasn’t too sharp.

“Do you know how to peel a potato?” Asked Aya.

“I’m not sure…”

“Well, it’s not too hard once you try, like this.” Aya showed her how she did it. In slow, badly-timed, asymmetric strokes, the potato was peeled into a relatively round shape, though very amateur-like and rough around the edges.

Sayo, however, followed Aya’s example very closely, making the latter wonder if the former’s sister wasn’t the only one in the family to be a natural at things.

When it was time to cut them into pieces, Aya saw distress in Sayo’s shaky hand when trying to cut one of the potatoes, and stepped up to help her. She softly held Sayo’s hand, handling the potato and pushing the knife against it together.

This, of course, worried Aya, because her small hand was sweating on her friend's from pure embarrassment and fear of being weird, and she could only hope Sayo wasn't mad at her for it.

They cut fries into an acceptable shape they agreed on, put salt and a bit of paprika in, and carefully slid everything into an electric fryer.

After they were done, both the vocalist and the guitarist sat to eat, taking in mind to responsibly wash their hands before eating, just as they did before cooking.

“These are…” Sayo whispered.

“Huh?”

“Good. These are really good…”

“Do you really think so?” Aya felt an immense relief come out of her.

“Yes. Thank you, Maruyama-san, I enjoy them a lot.”

Aya felt pleased. She was happy to help a friend. Maybe she inspired Sayo to cook more, and that little bit of influence made her feel comfortable with herself.

And with this careless feeling of joy it was that she picked up a relatively big fry out of the bunch, its path to her mouth interrupted by another hand at its grasp: Sayo had been holding the same fry.

Their eyes met in what could have been one of the most embarrassing moments for both of them, and yet, their gazes were met with silence, and a flushed feeling sparking from within.

_ A challenge?  _ Aya thought.  _ Maybe I should just let go… _

But something in Sayo's eyes told her not to. Something she kept showing as she leaned herself in to bite their potato of mutual interest.

Something that, in her gesture, told Aya to lean forward as well, and take her own bite.

They both leaning onto the table, and Aya could only think, at that moment:

_ Oh _

_ My _

_ God _

_ This _

_ Does _

_ Not _

_ Work _

_ As Well As It Does _

_ In The Movies _

For a brief moment, their final bites came, the fry separated completely, and both of their lips brushed against each other.

Aya could not believe she did such a thing! She was so nervous she could not stand to look at Sayo, who she assumed was completely static from a feeling of shock towards her audacity to kiss her.  _ Maybe she just wanted the fry and I went too far! Oh no… _

After both parties recomposed themselves, Sayo and Aya felt comfortable and accomplished, if very much embarrassed. As Aya imagined Sayo would never ask for her help ever again, the Hikawa stood up.

“Again, Maruyama-san, thank you for the assistance. You've taught me much today, and I see great value in your kindness and compassion, as well as your skills with the kitchen.”

“I-it was nothing!”

“As a token of my appreciation for the afternoon we spent, and as an apology to the discomfort I might have caused, please take this gift,” she said, sliding a piece of paper towards Aya. “You may do with it as you please.”

After letting that clear, they said goodbye, and Sayo left.

Aya looked at the piece of paper again, wondering what it could be. Monetary payment? A thank you note? Maybe something Aya should not have, and neither should Sayo? Her anxiety would only get worse should she not turn the paper around. So, she did.

It was a phone number, followed by the word “Friday,” and an address.

And she took the fries home.


	2. Sayo

With one fry in two mouths, unfortunate realizations are bound to occur.

And perhaps it would not be completely out of it to say that such a sentence is way more ominous sounding than it has any right to be. Those who sincerely think that might not be wrong. Oh, they might not be wrong at all.

But every realization has an origin.

Aya Maruyama was a beautiful and inspiring young girl, a great singer and idol, and a friend you hear a lot of good things of.

Or, at the very least, that is what Sayo Hikawa thought, looking at her from the other side of the room.

The distance was fitting for them. Sayo didn't know how to approach friendships, and the ones she did were caused by unrelated goals that led to such. Might her and Aya become friends on that day, this case would prove to be truth once again, because this time, she needed to approach Aya to learn how to cook french fries.

Sayo was a big fan of those, and Aya was not only Sayo's twin sister's friend and bandmate, but also a fast food worker, so it was only natural that they would get to discuss it at some point.

So she approached the girl, whose face looked surprisingly serious (mostly because of sunglasses she wore, despite being inside).

“Maruyama-san.” She spoke. No response came. Was she being ignored? Did she do something wrong? Being an idol is a toll on your emotions, perhaps Aya was simply too tired to respond. But Sayo tried again.

“Ahem,” she cleared. This time, Aya moved suddenly, as if scared. “Maruyama-san?”

“Sayo-chan… Why are the lights so weak here?”

Could she not tell what she had on her eyes? Sayo did not understand if it was a joke. Alas, she tried to help the idol either way.

“You…”

“Huh?” “I mean,” Sayo had trouble saying these things out loud, “you have sunglasses on.”

“OH!” Said Aya, hurriedly taking them off. “These are NOT mine, haha…” It provoked a thought in the guitarist:

_ So it was a prank… Maybe Hina's doing? No, no, I shouldn't think about Hina now.  _ “Anyway, as I was attempting to ask you,”

“Yes, yes, go on!”

“I would like to request your assistance in something I think only you can do.”

“Of course! Come with me,” Aya said, as she took Sayo’s arm, and led her towards a quiet place. “So?”

Sayo looked right at Aya. This was it. The moment she was preparing for. The words she wanted to say. “I need you to teach me how to make potato.”

“Potato?”

“Yes, uhm, french fries.”

“You need me to teach you how to make french fries?”

“If you are willing to help.”

“Yes!” Aya seemed nervous. Maybe it wasn’t the best call to approach her like that? She did not know. “Should we go to my house?”

“That would be appreciated.”

After an hour or two, they both met like planned. Aya had already prepared the ingredients and utensils for fast access. It seemed like a calculated, responsible move.

“Well, Sayo-chan,” Aya spoke softly, “how do you normally enjoy your fries?”

She wrote a mental essay on the answer.  _ Oh, potato…  _ Such a beautiful invention. A salty, oily taste of perfection. There is no food like the treats that make you happy. But what came out:

“Potato…”

“Sayo-chan?”

“Ah, yes, uhm…” Sayo was spacing out over potatoes once again.

“I do work with fast food, but I’m a cashier.”

_ Ah. _

“You are?”

_ Have I not bought from her before? What am I doing?  _ Sayo worried she was creeping out Aya, or making her uncomfortable. To her, Aya’s embarrassment told her so.

“But it’s okay!” The vocalist shouted, startling her friend. “I still know how to make some tasty ones, so we can do that!”

She grabbed two potatoes, resting them on a piece of plastic Sayo didn’t know the name of on the counter, and handed Sayo a knife.

“Do you know how to peel a potato?” Asked Aya.

Vague memories of Hina’s laughter came to mind. “I’m not sure…”

“Well, it’s not too hard once you try, like this.” Aya demonstrated. In slow, careful, and calculated strokes, the potato was peeled in a perfectly round shape, one to make a caring mother proud.

Then, Sayo followed in her example, which resulted in a very imperfect, amateur shape, though an edible one.

When it was time to cut them into pieces, Aya kindly offered physical assistance, holding Sayo’s hand with the knife, and handling it as demonstration. Sayo saw this as motive for stress, however, after thinking about Aya’s gentle, delicate, and warm palm over her big, trembling hand. Yet, the gesture still brought her comfort. So much comfort, that she didn’t notice they were finished.

Letting go of Sayo, Aya took care of the rest, and soon the french fries would be finished.

After done, both performers washed their hands and sat together, to finally enjoy the fruit of one afternoon’s work.

Sayo bit into one. Then another. She felt their scent, their flavor. Potato.

“These are…” She whispered.

“Huh?”

“Good.” She knew it. “These are really good…”

“Do you really think so?” Aya asked sincerely, with glowing eyes and a beautiful smile.

“Yes,” the guitarist said just as sincerely. “Thank you, Maruyama-san, I enjoy them a lot.”

Sayo felt pleased. She learned something new, got closer to a friend, and was eating one of her favorite snacks.

But while reflecting on these things she liked about the day, Sayo grabbed a particularly long fry out of the bunch she was eating from. This would be normal, of course, if said fry hadn’t stopped from getting closer to her mouth by an opposing force: Aya’s hand.

Their eyes met in what was one of the most embarrassing moments for both of them, and yet, Sayo responded with silence, and a flushed feeling she was trying her hardest to repress.

_ Am I forcing her hand?  _ Sayo thought.  _ I should just stop being greedy with the fries… _

But something in Aya’s eyes told her not to. Something in her leaning forward, and like a gravitational pull of potato, pulled Sayo to lean forward and bite.

Something that pulled Aya to bite, as well.

They were both coming closer, with barely any concern for the table in-between them, while Sayo thought:

_ Oh _

_ My _

_ God _

_ This _

_ Does _

_ Not _

_ Work _

_ As Well As It Does _

_ In The Movies _

Soon, their final bites came; the chip was completely separated for the two of them, while their lips softly brushed against each other.

Sayo could not believe she had just done such a thing! She looked over at Aya; she could not stand to look at her again.  _ Maybe she just wanted to make a joke and I went too far… Now she can’t even look at me… _

After both parties recomposed themselves, Aya and Sayo felt comfortable and accomplished with themselves, if very much embarrassed. As Sayo wondered if Aya would ever look her in the eye again, she stood up.

“Again, Maruyama-san, thank you for the assistance. You've taught me much today, and I see great value in your kindness and compassion, as well as your skills with the kitchen,” she preached, with a package of fries in her hand.

“I-it was nothing!”

Sayo got from her pocket a small piece of paper, writing in it a combination of numbers and words that blatantly formed an invitation, and said: “As a token of my appreciation for the afternoon we spent, and as an apology to the discomfort I might have caused, please take this gift,” she then slid the paper towards Aya. “You may do with it as you please.”

After clearing her point, followed by her throat, both friends said goodbye to each other, and Sayo left.

On the way home, Sayo heard a buzz from inside one of her pockets. Her phone had one message:

“Maruyama-san

I hope you’re enjoying the fries! You probably learned the trick by now, but if you ever need to refresh your memory, or maybe try a new recipe, I’m free on Friday!”

Sayo put the phone back in her pocket, and thought about the recipe she just learned, with a smile on her face.

Those fries were not the fast food kind she expected, but they had something special that made them just as joyful. Perfectly cut, and made with love; they left Sayo’s mouth tasting of nothing but salt and lip gloss.


End file.
